Road Trip
by GarciafanGirl21
Summary: When Hotch forgets to give Strauss some important paperwork before she leaves for Christmas, he has to rely on Morgan and Garcia to get her the paperwork.
1. Chapter 1

Aaron Hotchner was sitting in his office when he realized what he had forgotten to do. He triple checked the stack of papers that were sitting on his desk. There was no way he could back out of his promise to Jack. He had promised him he would be there not only on Christmas but the days leading up to Christmas as well. They needed to get a Christmas Tree, and wrap presents and try to get through their first Christmas without Haley. But the papers he had forgotten to give Strauss before she left was detailed notes of the cases the BAU had handled in the past 6 months. If she didn't get the paper's by the 24th of December, she would split up the BAU. Strauss wasn't in Virginia for the holidays and that was what the problem was. She had went to her vacation house in Beaufort, South Carolina. It was a 8 hour drive, and Hotch couldn't betray Jack to drive to Beaufort to give Strauss those papers.

Prentiss had family coming in to stay at her house in the morning, JJ had went straight to Louisiana after the plane had landed. Reid was flying out to Las Vegas and Rossi was at home with the flu. Morgan and Garcia was the only two available. Morgan's flight to Chicago wasn't leaving until the 23rd and it was the 19th.

"Derek!" Hotch yelled trying to catch the guy before he went out the BAU door.

"Yeah Hotch?" he asked turning halfway around.

"I need you to do me a favor." Hotch said, and explained the problem to him.

"You know how far Beaufort is from Quantico?" Morgan asked in disbelief.

"About 8 and half hours of constant driving. But if you want you can take Garcia with you."

Derek instantly perked up. 8 and a half hours to Beaufort with his Baby Girl? How could he pass a chance like that up? They had been so professional to each other lately that Morgan instantly agreed.

"I'll go talk to Penelope." Morgan said, and walked off towards her office.

"Hey Baby Girl, can I ask you a really big favor?"

"Sure Hot Stuff." Garcia said as she shut down her computers.

He explained the whole issue to her, stopping to say she didn't have to go, he just wanted a traveling companion.

"Oh I don't mind Morgs. I didn't have plans anyway."

"Not even with Kevin?"

"He went to Washington State with a couple of his buddies. He didn't invite me."

Morgan could tell this was a touchy subject for her and she didn't want to chat about it. How could Kevin do her like that? Washington State? He bet Garcia hadn't even there, although she'd lived in California when she was growing up.

"So I'll be picking you up at 8?" Morgan asked quickly.

"It works."

"Oh and Garcia can you do me one more favor?'

"Sure hot stuff."

"Can you get directions and things like that? I'm not as good at all the computer stuff as you are."

She laughed and smiled. "Okay, I will. Good night Morgs.

"Good night Garcia."

**Please Review!**


	2. Chapter 2

Garcia was waiting on her front steps when Morgan pulled up at her apartment a few minutes past eight. As much as Morgan hated mornings he was grateful for this one. Garcia on the other hand was already in her normal everyday bubbly mood and was chattering away as he drove off towards the interstate.

"Did you get the directions?" Morgan asked.

"Yes." Garcia answered.

"What exit am I looking for?"

"Exit 84A"

Morgan just nodded then took a long drink of the Starbucks Coffee he had brought along with him. How did Garcia always manage to be all happy and chirpy at any time of the day?

"You know what you need to wake you up Morgs?

"Another cup of coffee?" he guessed, taking the last drink in the cup.

"No some Road Trip music playing in the background."

"Oh really? What did you have in mind?'

"This." she said, quickly changing Morgan's CD in the radio and putting in one of her own hot pink glittery Cds from her oversized purse.

"Oh dear lord." Morgan muttered under his breath, almost afraid to figure out what Garcia had on that CD. Within seconds a pop band's music filled the car.

"You like this kind of music?" Morgan asked in disbelief.

'"Not always but these are my favorite pop songs." Garcia asked.

"Well they certainly do wake you up." Morgan said, rubbing his eyes.

They were quiet for a couple of minutes so they could listen to the songs that Garcia had on that CD. She had done pretty good at picking all the popular songs.

"Oh my god Hot Stuff! Did that sign just say Exit 84A?"

"Yeah I think so. Why?"

"That was the exit we were supposed to take!"

"Pen! Your supposed to be helping me navigate!"

"Turn around, turn around!"

"Are you kidding? This is an interstate!"

Morgan was cussing, Penelope was close to hyperventilating. They only had so much time to get this to Strauss to keep the BAU together!

Then they saw they hadn't missed it after all.

_Exit 84A to Richmond VA._

"Oh thank God!" Garcia sighed.

'Here you go." he said holding out the pink glittery CD to her.

"What you don't like it?" Garcia asked.

"I have to focus." he explained.

"Oh well, I guess not all people can multitask as well as me."

"Your one of a kind Baby Girl."

"Tell me about it Hot Stuff."

**Please Review!**


	3. Chapter 3

**I would've posted this sooner except for the fact I've been a little distracted because Kirsten Vangsness (aka Penelope Garcia) sent me a autograph back in the mail. This has been a happy day for me. Enjoy the chapter. **

It had been a long day. It was nearly eight in the evening and because of a huge traffic jam in Raleigh, North Carolina they were just now crossing into South Carolina. They had agreed they were pulling off at the next exit and getting hotel rooms. Beaufort was a least another three hours away and they were both exhausted. The only hotel they could find with vacancy was a small hotel called Sleepy Inn.

"The 1980's called." Garcia said. "They want their hotel back."

The hotel did look pretty outdated. It was only two floors and the office was on the backside of the hotel. Once they had walked into the office a middle aged man sitting at his desk looked up and the minute he saw Garcia, he quickly put his newspaper down on his desk.

"How can I help you?' the clerk asked.

"We're looking for rooms. The sign said there was vacancy." Morgan said.

The clerk looked sideways at Morgan. He was giving bold signs he was into Garcia. But then after rolling his eyes at Morgan and noticing Garcia didn't have a wedding ring he said with a small smile:

"There's only one room left with vacancy"

"We'll take it." Garcia said, knowing that he was trying to get Morgan to go to a different hotel. Looking rather disappointed, the man cursed under his breath then turned around to get a key off the wall. When he was facing them again he said:

"I'm going to need some identification"

Morgan reached into his pockets, but couldn't find his wallet. He took the bag from his shoulder off and looked through that too. When he still couldn't find his wallet he said:

"I must have left it in the car. Be right back."

Garcia could've almost have slapped him. The clerk kept inching his hand towards hers and when he only had his hand about three inches away she moved her hand.

"Well miss here's the key to your room. I wouldn't want you to have to keep waiting on that man."

Garcia just rolled her eyes and took the key. She grabbed all their stuff and headed to the elevator to go to room 204.

About ten minutes later, someone was knocking on the door. Garcia half expected it to be the clerk at the front desk, but was surprised to see it was Morgan.

"Hey Morgs, didn't they give you a key?"

'No. The clerk wouldn't let me upstairs without identification."

"You still couldn't find your wallet?

"No, I think I left it at my apartment."

"Derek! What if we had been pulled over?"

"We didn't get pulled over."

"Yeah but we could have been!"

"Pen I'm sorry. I didn't know I didn't have my wallet or I wouldn't have drove I swear."

Someone else was knocking on the door now, Garcia looked out the peep hole to see a security guard at the door. Once she opened the door the guard said to Garcia:

"Do you have an ID ma'am?"

"Yes." she said, getting her driver's license out of her bag.

"You need to show your ID to the office clerk. "And as for you" he said looking at Morgan. "You need to go sign in."

Once they were downstairs the clerk took Garcia's driver license and began entering all the information in the computer. He put in everything- id number, address, phone number, weight...

"Is there anything else you need?" Morgan asked. 'Her birth certificate? Passport? Vaccination Records?"

The clerk didn't even answer him just shoved the paper toward him and said: "Sign."

In the elevator going back upstairs, Morgan apologized again to Garcia.

"Don't worry about it Morgs." she said. "It's okay to forget something every once in a while."

Not five seconds after she said that the elevator stopped at the second floor. They kept waiting on the door to open but it wouldn't budge.

'Could anything else go wrong?" Morgan yelled.

He started pressing the buttons but nothing was happening. He tried to pry the door open but when that didn't work he pressed the alarm button.

'What else can go wrong in this place?" Morgan said. "Could anything top this?"

"Yeah." Garcia answered. "One of us could need a bathroom."

Morgan looked back at her and then they both started laughing. Morgan let his hand hit the alarm button again. This was the second time he had hit it and that really set them off. Finally the security guard banged on the door and said that he would try to fix the problem himself, and if that didn't work he'd call the fire department. Once he was done yelling Morgan and Garcia sat down on the floor of the elevator.

"Sorry Morgs." Garcia said. 'A whole street of hotels and I chose this one because the price was right. Probably bed bugs too."

"And no hot water after midnight." Morgan joked.

'Was there even soap in the bathroom or is that extra?" Garcia said.

"When they rescue us. They'll add 'rescue' to the bill." Morgan said.

They sat in the elevator talking for a while until finally about 30 minutes later when the elevator door opened. They scrambled to their feet and got out of there before the door could close again.

**I know my ending to this chapter was bad. Please Review!**


	4. Chapter 4

Back in the hotel room it was going on eleven. Morgan put the 'Do not Disturb' sign on the door so they wouldn't have to face the security guard again that night. The place was really the dumps, but when Morgan noticed there was only one bed in the room the hotel became amazing to him.

Garcia must have noticed the one bed dilemma the same time Morgan did, because she looked at him shyly.

"Guess we're sharing a bed for the night, huh Hot Stuff?"

"Apparently so."

Garcia's phone started to ring at that moment and when she saw it was Kevin, she went into the bathroom and closed the door. Morgan couldn't help but overhear the conversation and then after about a three minutes he heard her yell:

"Well fine Kevin! Just go hang out with her! If that's the way you want it then we're through!"

She slammed her phone shut and when she came out of the bathroom Morgan could tell she was really upset. Why did Kevin had to be so stupid when it came to Garcia? Once she was sitting on the bed next to him though she started to cry. Morgan put down the magazine he was pretending to read and pulled her into his arms and let her cry into his chest.

"There there Baby Girl. It's ok."

"Why am I never good enough for him? After all that I've done and went through for him.."

"He's obviously blind when it comes to you Garcia."

"I'm about to just give up on men completely."

"Completely?"

"Yeah. I've had 10 boyfriends who have broken my heart. Do I really want to hurt more?"

"When you say your giving up on men completely.."

"Yeah?'

"That doesn't include me does it?"

"What?" she asked looking up at him.

"I'm saying if you give up on all men I'm not included in that am I?"

'I don't know Derek. You've hurt me too with Tamara Barnes."

"I'm sorry about that Baby Girl. I didn't want to hurt you. I only drove Tamara home that day, and then that was it."

'Really?" she asked.

'Would I lie to you?"

"No."

"So believe me when I say I don't want to hurt you anymore."

"I believe you Derek, it's just you can't promise that."

"Promise to not hurt you anymore?"

"You can say you don't want to hurt me, but it won't be a guarantee. What if you meet someone else.."

"Shh." he said. "There is no one else besides you I want to with, or ever want to be with. Baby Girl do you remember that night after you were shot and I told you I loved you?

"Yeah. How could I forget?"

"I meant what I said."

"Then why..?"

"Why didn't I go after you and prove it? I could've have. I wanted to. But you were dating Kevin and I didn't want to be in the way of that. Baby Girl all I ever wanted was for you to be happy."

"You do mean it." she whispered.

"Of course I mean it." he said. "Hey silly girl? I love you. You know that right?"

She smiled at him. "Of course I do. I love you too Hot Stuff."

And then he kissed her. Turns out that the Sleepy Inn was the best thing that ever happened to the two of them.

**Yes there will be more chapters! Please Review!**


	5. Chapter 5

The next morning around eleven o'clock Morgan and Garcia checked out of the Sleepy Inn. Although this was the place that finally pushed him and Garcia together, Morgan was glad to get out of there. The creepy desk clerk was gone and they we're both glad about that. Once back on the road though was when their adventure of the day popped up.

Morgan's phone started ringing and when he answered it he was surprised to see who it was.

"Elle?" he said confused into the receiver.

"Are you still in South Carolina?" Elle asked.

"Yeah. Why?"

"I need your help with something major. It can't wait. I'm in Charleston."

"South Carolina? Why?"

"Save the explanations for later. Where exactly are you?"

"Just now crossing into Charleston."

"Prefect. You know where Carolina Avenue is?"

"Yeah."

"I need you to go there and come to Patty's diner."

"Elle why?"

"Just come Morgan please. I need you help."

"All right. I'll be there in ten minutes."Once they had hung up, Morgan pretty much floored it the whole way to Patty's Diner. Once they were there he saw Elle in one corner with a middle aged man who had a death grip on her arm. Morgan got it almost immediately. Elle had obviously hooked up with the dude last night and he wouldn't let her leave.

"He looks like Hitler a little." Garcia muttered as they pretended to be looking at the songs on the juke box. Morgan acted like he didn't see Elle at all until he 'glanced' up from the songs he was looking at.

"Why Elle!" he said. "What are you doing in this state?"

"Just vacationing here." she answered.

"We're vacationing here." the guy corrected.

Elle didn't even remark at him, she just rolled her eyes. Then she looked at Garcia.

"Penelope! It's been ages!" Elle said with fake surprise.

She struggled to get her arm free from the rude guy's death grip and since he wouldn't move she had to hug Garcia across the table.

"Are these your friends Elle?" the rude guy asked.

"Yeah they are. Rodney meet Penelope and Derek."

Rodney took one glance at Morgan and Garcia and said:

"Newlyweds I'll bet."

Morgan was about to say they were just dating when Garcia piped up:

"How'd you guess?"

Morgan looked sideways at her trying to hide his smile. Elle was struggling to keep her poker face. Rodney just grinned at her.

"Rodney would you mind getting me another drink?" Elle asked.

When Rodney didn't budge Morgan said:

"Come on Rodney let's go get our ladies some drinks. I'd like to get to know you better."

Once they were out of earshot Garcia grabbed Elle's arm ,and Elle grabbed her purse.

"Let's go." Garcia said.

They waited until Rodney's head was turned and they snuck out the door. Garcia quickly unlocked the car doors and Elle got down on the floor of the back seat. Within about two minutes Morgan came out the door and got in the drivers seat. Rodney however had followed him to the front door of Patty's Diner.

"Hey you guys! You seen that brunette any where?" Rodney yelled.

Morgan rolled down his window and yelled back:

"She said something about another appointment."

Then he sped out of there and Elle didn't rise back up in the backseat until they were inching through traffic on the main strip of hotels in Charleston.

"Thanks for getting me away from that slime ball guys. I owe you one." Elle said.

"How'd you meet him anyways?" Garcia wanted to know.

"I met him in a bar. We hooked up. I kept saying I had to go but every time I tried to leave he got mean."

"Which hotel are you staying at Elle?" Morgan asked.

"Best Western." she answered. "Thanks again guys. You don't know how much this means to me."

"No problem." Garcia said. 'We all hook up with slime balls in bars at one point or another. No biggie."

Once they got Elle dropped off at her hotel, Morgan said:

"Well Baby Girl we better be on our way to Beaufort."

"Our mission of mercy." Garcia said, and Morgan laughed.

"Yeah our mission of mercy. To Beaufort."

"To Beaufort."

**Please Review! =)**


	6. Chapter 6

Morgan and Garcia were luckily able to make it the rest of the way to Beaufort with no more interruptions. When Strauss answered the door to her vacation house she was shocked to see Morgan and Garcia there together.

"What are the two of you doing here Mr. Morgan?" Strauss rudely asked.

Morgan reached into his shoulder bag to get the manila envelope that held the paperwork that was so essential to the BAU and handed it to her.

Strauss took one look at the papers and said: "Did Aaron Hotchner send these with you?"

"Yes." Garcia answered.

Strauss just nodded. "I suppose I owe him a call then. Good Day."

She then closed the door in their faces and they turned to walk back to Morgan's car. Once they were inside Garcia said:

"So you need a plane ticket to Chicago and I need one back to Quantico? Right?"

"Baby Girl, why don't you just come with me?"

Garcia glanced up from her phone where she was dialing Delta Airlines. "What?"

"You don't have plans for Christmas right?"

"Right Hot Stuff. But I can't go with you. Christmas is too family related."

"You are like family to me. Come on Garcia, come to Chicago with me.

She debated in her head for a minute and then said:

"All right. But under one condition."

"What's the condition?"

"We're taking a Road Trip to Chicago instead of flying."

He laughed and rolled his eyes.

"Enjoy yourself Baby Girl?"

"Besides the 'Motel From Hell' yes."

"All right. I agree to your condition, as long as you agree to mine."

Garcia laughed. "What's your condition Derek?"

'When I introduce you to my family I can call you my girlfriend."

She looked over at him and smiled. "Deal."

**I'm finally done! Please Review!**


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